Taiwan’s second largest microchip maker, United Microelectronics Corp, has started construction of its first 12-inch wafer fabrication plant. The company is to invest $3bn in the plant. The plant, the companyÆs first to be located in the southern Tainan Industrial Park, will have a monthly capacity of 20,000 wafers, according to UMC president Peter Chang. He said the company plans to build five more 12-in wafer fabs and one TFT-LCD plant in the park. It already has seven 8-in wafer fabs in operation.
UMC’s main rival, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), last week announced it will start construction early next year of its first 12-inch wafer fab. It will be located in the Hsinchu Industrial Park in the north of the island where nearly all of the islandÆs semiconductor operations are currently based. The TSMC plant, with a capacity of 25,000 wafers per month, is expected to begin a pilot run in early 2002, while the UMC plant is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year and to be in full production by mid-2001.
